This Web of Lies (Is Woven In the Mirror)
by C31ticM00n
Summary: When a stray spell causes Steve to shapeshift into a man he's never seen before; a man that is apparently his true form, the super-soldier is forced to flee Avengers Tower in search of answers. Along the way, however, he finds himself veering into darkness and taking his new team with him. But when even you can't recognize yourself anymore, how can anyone hope to save you?


This Web of Lies (Is Woven In the Mirror)

Prologue

It was actually the woman glancing around furtively before darting away that drew Joseph Rogers towards the alley that fateful night. But what made him stop and cautiously enter it was the faint howling. A man couldn't be too careful what with all the crooked cops and various mobs running around; it was far too easy for a man to disappear and never be found again. Still, out of all the possible scenarios he could have thought of, a howling baby wrapped in a dark blue blanket wasn't even in the top hundred.

"Hey there, it's alright," he murmured as he gently picked up the tiny bundle of cloth. "You're going to be okay, I promise. Now let's get you out of here, yeah?"

The baby hiccupped in response, apparently comforted by him, and Joseph smiled slightly. Still, he had to somehow get it home without being stopped by a cop. _Shouldn't be too hard_ , he mused as he shrugged off his coat, careful not to drop the infant. Finally, after several minutes of maneuvering, he was able to successfully hide it in the least suspicious way possible, and emerged from the alley, once more just another laborer heading home after a long shift. The second he arrived in his little apartment, however, he knew something was wrong.

His wife was slumped at the table, her head in her hands as her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Beside her sat his good friend Grant Nicholls in his real form (although his outfit looked normal enough, thank God. How the other man could stand that much black leather was beyond him), his usually dancing eyes strangely dull.

"What happened?" Joseph gasped as he placed his coat on the counter.

"Sarah went into labour this morning, and the baby didn't make it," Grant explained quietly as he glanced at the other man. Then his gaze sharpened as he registered what his friend was holding, and he calmly asked, "What did you do?"

"Nothing! I found it just as its mother abandoned it in an alley! What was I supposed to do, leave it?" the blond protested.

"Absolutely not!" Sarah hissed, blue eyes flashing in anger at her husband's question.

"Was there a letter or something to indicate why it was left?" Grant asked.

"Err…"

"Yes," Sarah grumbled. "And it is a he."

Joseph silently took the offered paper from his wife and skimmed through it, rapidly growing paler as he did so.

"Well? What does it say?" Grant demanded like the ever-so-impatient teenager that he really was, if he was to be believed about the rough age equivalents between humans and his species.

Taking a deep breath, Joseph began to read,

 _To whomever finds this letter,_

 _By the time you read this, I will most likely be dead, murdered by members of an Italian gang for my husband's betrayal of them. But my son should not have to suffer for his father's actions, so I ask you, whoever you may be, to take him in and raise him as your own. Both for your sake and his, I must ask you to burn this once you have read it and never reveal my son's origins to him to further ensure his safety._

 _Sincerely,_

 _A Mother_

"Oh my God," Sarah moaned. "What do we do?"

"What was suggested," Grant muttered. "Burn the letter and raise him as your own."

"He won't even look like us! His father was Italian, and I bet his mother is, as well!" Joseph argued.

"I can create an illusion that will make him look like your son, but because he's an ordinary human, there will be side effects, especially if it's long-term." Grant sighed.

"Like what?"

"Most likely poor health, causing him to be more susceptible to diseases."

"But what if it falls? How do we explain that to him?" Sarah inquired.

"I can create a bracelet that will have the glamour bound to it, and will grow with him," Grant offered. "And it will be invisible, so he can't remove it."

"And how long will that take?"

"A day, no more," Grant told her.

"Then let's do that. It seems like our best option, anyway," Joseph sighed.

After a minute, Sarah nodded jerkily and whispered, "As far as anyone else is concerned, Steven Grant Rogers was born alive and well. As for this woman's child, it died from exposure, despite our best efforts."

"Grant, when you come back with that bracelet, erase our memories of what really happened," Joseph ordered. "We'll do as she wanted and bury this so deep that no one can ever figure out what happened here tonight. And God willing, they never will."

But as happens with all lies, their carefully-constructed web would eventually collapse, and no one would be left unscathed when the truth was revealed….

* * *

A/N: So this AU was actually prompted by me watching The Godfather for the first time. One of the characters mentioned Brooklyn, and another kinda looked like a blond Phil Coulson, and yeah. My brain went to weird places, and thus this fic was born. But I really can't bring myself to apologize. Please read and review!


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